KevinTrudeau developed and hosted radio and TV infomercials for a range of products in conjunction with two infomercial production companies, Mega Systems, Inc. and Tru-Vantage, L.L.C. Many of the infomercials had names such as, "A Closer Look," and were formatted to appear to be commercial radio and TV interview programs or talk shows, not the advertisements they actually were. Five respondents, including Trudeau himself, invented or manufactured the products or services that were featured in the infomercials and appeared in the infomercials promoting them.

An infomercial for KevinTrudeau's Mega Memory System claimed that scientific studies of his system showed that it could help anyone achieve a photographic memory, even people with learning disabilities or low IQ's. "KevinTrudeau's breakthrough techniques were developed while working with blind and mentally handicapped students," the infomercial said. "Their recall ability increased from 15% to 90% in just 5 days," it said, and stated that the techniques were ". . . guaranteed to work for you." In fact, the FTC alleges, the memory system would not enable users to achieve a photographic memory, and the advertising claims were false.

To settle the FTC charges, KevinTrudeau, who developed and appeared in all the infomercials, including the one for his "Mega Memory System," will pay $500,000 in consumer redress and will be barred from making false claims for the products in the future. Trudeau will be required to establish a $500,000 escrow account or performance bond to assure compliance. Infomercial producer Mega Systems International, Inc., and its principal, Jeffrey Salberg, also will pay $500,000 for consumer redress.

A Defendants shall hereby assign to the Commission, without any encumbrances, all rights and claims to money or other assets due to the Defendants as of the date of entry of this Order, and the right to pursue any chose in action to recover any such money or assets due, under the terms of the agreement entered into on May 17th, 2002 between Trustar Global Media Ltd. and Robert R. Barefoot, including any addendums to such agreement, and under the terms of any other agreement between any of the Defendants and Trustar Global Media Ltd., Shop America (USA), LLC, Shop America, PLC, Shop America Marketing Group, LLC, Shop America (Australasia), Ltd., Trucom LLC, K.T. Corporation, LLC, KevinTrudeau, or any entity owned by or held directly or indirectly for the benefit of KevinTrudeau.

and Robert R. Barefoot, including any addendums to such agreement, and under the terms of any other agreement between any of the Defendants and Trustar Global Media Ltd., Shop America (USA), LLC, Shop America, PLC, Shop America Marketing Group, LLC, Shop America (Australasia) Ltd., Trucom LLC, K.T. Corporation Ltd., KevinTrudeau, or any entity owned by or held directly or indirectly for the benefit of KevinTrudeau, Defendants shall: (1) notify the Commission in writing of such money or assets; and (2) pay, transfer, or assign such money or assets to the Commission.

This is a transcript of a 30-minute infomercial in which Debbie Flett and KevinTrudeau interview Robert Barefoot about coral calcium. The program is filled with misinformation. In June 2003, the Federal Trade Commission charged Trudeau and Barefoot with false advertising and filed suit in an Illinois court.

KevinTrudeau: Hey, thanks for watching. This is the Debbie and Kevin Show, and I am KevinTrudeau.

“Without asking permission from consumers, KevinTrudeau is offering to rent the names and addresses of his customers to telemarketers, junk mailers and other direct marketers,” said Teresa A. Santiago, Chairperson and Executive Director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board (“CPB”.)

The infomercials feature KevinTrudeau as the host and Donna DiFerdinando as "Vice President for Research and Development" and the "Product Developer." The infomercials and Web site state, among other claims, that Chitozyme is "a revolutionary fat trapping product that promotes weight loss while letting you still eat your favorite food guilt free," and that Acceleron "is proven to increase your metabolism" and "burns more calories."

KevinTrudeau, although not charged in this action, has been the target of other actions involving dubious weight-loss promotions.

KevinTrudeau, who hosted Barefoot's infomercials, has been the object of many FTC regulatory actions for false advertising. In 1998, in connection with six infomercials that he developed, Trudeau signed a consent agreement to (a) pay $500,000 in consumer redress, (b) be barred from making false claims for products in the future, and (c) establish a $500,000 escrow account or performance bond to assure compliance . In the infomercials, Trudeau acted skeptical by questioning why listeners should believe various claims that the overwhelming majority of medical doctors would dispute. Barefoot's answer is simple (and incorrect). Doctors, he said, were too busy to read journals and get their information from drug companies; and drug companies didn't want them to know that coral calcium was more effective than their drugs. (Doctors actually get most of their information from journals, continuing education courses, and conversations with colleagues, not from drug companies.) During the early 1990s, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Trudeau served nearly two years in prison.

The most brazen health-related infomercials ever broadcast were aired in 2002 and 2003 to promote Coral Calcium Supreme and similar products. During the tapes, KevinTrudeau interviews "King of Calcium" Robert E. Barefoot, who claims that calcium deficiency causes more than 200 degenerative diseases (including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease); that 90% of the disease in America can be wiped out by taking the right nutrients; and that a thousand people have told him that coral calcium cured their cancer. He also states that the underlying cause of these diseases is acidosis caused by calcium deficiency and advises everyone to get at least two hours of sunlight on the face daily without using sunscreen, a practice that would obviously increase the risk of skin cancer.